UK virtual power plant company appoints ex-Tesla chief as advisor

A UK project to build a virtual power plant (VPP) has appointed the former EMEA vice-president for Tesla in an advisory role, according to Energy Storage News.

Ben Hill will act as commercial and technical advisor for Solo Energy, which plans to launch a system to link up residential and commercial battery systems through a cloud-based system.

The company will install domestic batteries and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electric vehicle chargers in homes and businesses. The capacity provided by the batteries will then be combined into Solo Energy’s FlexiGrid cloud platform, giving system flexibility.

Community of Energy Exchangers using Blockchain Technology

Solo Energy is also interested in using peer-to-peer trading to enable a community of energy exchangers based on blockchain technology. Energy trades would be subject to ‘micro-fees’ once the regulatory framework is in place to provide for this form of revenue.

Ben Hill founded and led Tesla Energy across EMEA from November 2015 to October 2017. Before this, he was president of Trina Solar’s business in the EU and Africa.

Chief executive and co-founder of Solo Energy Mark Hamilton said: “We are delighted that Ben has agreed to be a part of Solo Energy’s journey. Our company goal is to lay the building blocks for a 100% renewable world, and Ben’s experience encompassing both energy and battery technology will be invaluable in achieving this goal.”

Hill said: “I’m incredibly excited to be working with Solo Energy. The team have a strong vision for the future, and its peer to peer trading concept using the latest blockchain technology is cutting edge.

“In helping Solo Energy bring its business model to reality, I’m fulfilling my own ambitions to push forward the sustainable and renewable energy revolution. By making reliable low carbon, low cost, sustainable energy accessible to homes across the UK and Europe, we believe we will change the face of energy generation forever.”

Successful pilot in Orkney

A recent Solo Energy pilot in Orkney deployed solar and storage systems at 30 properties in order to increase self-consumption and overcome grid limitations. Following this successful pilot, the company intends to roll out its offer, including V2G technologies, in the first six months of 2019. The offer could involve ‘no money down’ deals on equipment and solar-plus-storage solutions.

The VPP model is just one of the ways that companies can become more environmentally friendly at the same time as saving money. Why not talk to Zestec today about the opportunities for your business?